In ancient Greece, barley was used as a super food for gladiators.  In ancient Egypt, barley served as a currency.  In the 1300’s, the King of England declared that one inch should be the measure of three barley kernels.  Today in Canada, we grow over eight million metric tonnes of barley, over half of which is malting varieties.  Malting barley, converted to malt, is primarily used in the brewing of beer, but is also used in spirits and many food products.  What makes malting barley, malting quality?  What specifications are important to maltsters and why?